Sega Spotlights Sonic
A new animated cartoon, toys, and games on the way in 2003. Details inside.

March 18, 2003 - In an effort to turn around its recent slipping financial earnings, Sega today announced the secret to its success in the year 2003: Sonic the Hedgehog. The company has revealed plans to turn the spiky-haired trademark character into the Nintendo equivalent of Pokemon through an animated television show, a new line of Sonic toys, and -- of course -- many more great Sonic videogame titles.

Debuting in Japan this April, the new Sonic animated television series will also hit the U.S. and European airwaves later this fall. Although Sega has already produced a Sonic cartoon series here in the States, the company is planning to work more closely on the new Japanese production to bolster Sonic' s new image both here and abroad.

Sega' s toy unit is also following the latest Japanese trends as it ramps up production for an all-new line of Sonic collectables and action figures. And let' s not forget about the videogames -- Sega plans to put out four brand-new Sonic titles in Japan alone and a whopping five here in the U.S. and in Europe, where the series has traditionally been much more popular.

If all goes according to plan, Sega will give new life to its Sonic figurehead and put the company back into the forefront of the gaming and entertainment communities with this new 2003 strategy.

Speaking on the new plan, Sega' s respected head of Sonic development, Yuji Naka, says that, " This means our dream comes true. The next business year will become the Sonic year for Sega group, centered on the TV program. We would like to make Sonic as big as Pokemon."

As fans of Sega and the Sonic franchise of characters, we at IGN are certainly rooting for the company as well. We' ll have more news on Sonic and his new upcoming videogame adventures as it breaks.

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Didn' t leave a link because I don' t know if Kikizo would be cool with that. But it looks as if Sega plans to rejuvenate Sonic this year, and they' re holding nothing back. I so hope this has a good payoff for Sega. I hate seeing them the way they are now.